Three, Four, Five, Once I Caught a Flame Alive
by Arkylis
Summary: On his quest to understand the makings of a true utopia, Percival is forced to endure an evening full of trials and tribulations.


Summary: On his quest to understand the makings of a true utopia, Percival is forced to endure an evening full of trials and tribulations.

* * *

A sense of foreboding filled Percival as he stood outside the captain's quarters awaiting entry. Vyrn had left him with no clue as to what the captain was up to. Following his knock on the door, a sudden rustling of paper on the other side penetrated the silence of the hallway.

"Come on in!" The muffled voice was most certainly not Gran's. Percival's back stiffened as he entered the room expecting some kind of assault.

Djeeta sat at the desk with her chin propped up on folded hands. Her Cheshire smile sent his eyes darting for the crinkled papers under her arms though he could make out no words from where he stood.

"Djeeta, where's Gran?" He said by way of greeting. As expected, it turned her smile upside down. Though it came back before he could so much as blink.

"Hiding in his room, I'd expect. Anyway, I've got a letter for you." She reached into the drawer of the desk and procured a delicate looking envelope which indeed was addressed to him. The seal was still intact so Djeeta could not know its contents. Or could she?

"What is this?" He asked though he knew her answer.

"A letter, duh."

He scanned the contents. "I assume you've given this to me because you want me to attend this… Party?" He was still trying to figure out his captain's hidden agenda.

"Nope! Actually, I just want you to get Anthuria there safely. Whether you attend or not is your call to make."

"Anthuria?" He must have looked unconvinced because her expression settled into a distinctly thoughtful look.

"Well, alrighty then~. But, It's not just a party, you know? Miss Siero told me that it's a festival the sovereign throws for nobles and common folk alike. It seems to promote a just ruling system and ensure the interests of both parties."

Percival would be lying if he said that it didn't pique his interest. With no concrete roadmap of how to realize his desired utopia yet, he was still researching other countries and their customs. It would be a missed opportunity not to go. But one question still remained.

"Why would they invite a foreign knight?" He mused to himself. Djeeta gave him a shrug though the glint in her eyes told him she was pleased that he would be going.

"Alright, that settles it! You'd better talk to Anthuria about the logistics of the trip!" And with that she dismissed him.

Not only did he have a journey to prepare for now, he'd also have to find out who this 'Anthuria' was. The size of Gran and Djeeta's crew was nothing to sneeze at and he had yet to meet most of its members.

Since Djeeta - likely having forgotten that he had not met Anthuria before - neglected to introduce him to his escortee, he'd have to find someone else in the crew who knew her. The only other likely candidates were Gran, Lyria and Vyrn. Gran was 'hiding' in his room so he decided to seek out Lyria and Vyrn. He had a pretty good idea where he might find them.

The kitchen aboard the Grandcypher radiated the scent of food all day long much like a hearth heating a home in winter. While the Grandcypher was moored to the island, crew members leaving and returning from missions stopped by at every hour of the day. Just as he'd hoped, Lyria and Vyrn were grilling some familiar and some unfamiliar faces about their latest outings.

"Oh, it's Sir Burnslot! How did your meeting with Djeeta go?" The little lizard had turned from his apple to satisfy his curiosity instead.

"Smoothly." Percival said as he took a seat beside the duo.

"Djeeta wanted to see you?" Lyria asked.

"Yes, I will be heading out within the day, in fact."

"That's so exciting! Where are you going and what are you doing?" Lyria's eyes were sparkling and she readied her pen for a journal entry.

"Djeeta recommended that I attend a local festivity on the neighbouring island. She also informed me that another member of our crew would be in attendance."

Lyria's mouth formed an O-shape and she turned to her other side to nudge the Erune girl sulking at the table. "Hey, Anthuria, didn't you say that's where you were going?"

The girl let out a long moan as her ears flattened against her head. "I was planning on attending… But Gran won't come along." She let out a long sigh as her finger traced imaginary patterns on the wooden surface.

"Oh so that's how it is! Djeeta's getting Sir Burnslot to bring you there so no strange guys try to force you to marry them like the last time you danced at that other festival!"

Dancing? Strange men? This girl sounded like a headache and a half. He decided to get to the point. "Listen, Anthuria, let's not make this needlessly complicated. You and I are both heading to the same location. I'll make sure you get there without any problems so we should go to town and organise our transport."

He realised that his tone was rather clipped which matched his waning patience but he was NOT looking forward to being stuck with a whiny lady.

"C'mon, Anthuria, Percival's really strong! You really don't have anything to worry about." At Lyria's prodding, Anthuria finally raised her head from the table.

"Oh alright, alright…" She stood up with a flick of crimson hair, head held high, and they were finally face to face.

He smiled at the progress he had made and stood up as well, whereupon her ears twitched and drooped, and she averted her gaze.

"Settle your belongings and we'll leave as soon as possible. I'd rather not be stranded in the town for the night." Ignoring her meek nod, he left to retrieve his own necessities.

They met up again just outside the Grandcypher. It was anchored at a clearing that doubled as a dock because the main ports in the town itself were full.

He frowned at her skimpy dress and meagre pouch but was glad she followed when he turned to go. Though she did have to hold on to the ends of her dress which would have otherwise been dragged along the ground.

"Er, excuse me, Sir Burnslot-"

"My name is Percival." He was careful not to snap at her but he would wring that lizard as soon as he got back.

"Percival then… Are we catching the ferry from town?" His tone hadn't seemed to bother her and she kept his fast pace without breaking a sweat.

He nodded in answer and focused on the road ahead. For a while, the clanking of his armour and the soft taps of Anthuria's feet on the road were the only sounds to disturb the rural countryside they were marching through.

But only until Percival could not take it anymore. "Did you not think to bring some footwear?" He glanced at her stocking covered feet against the dusty road.

Anthuria was surprised at the question and came to a stop a few steps ahead of him. "No, I guess not. It's been awhile since I've walked on country roads but I've never worn shoes so it's no big deal." Now it was Percival's turn to be surprised and it must have shown on his face because she went on to explain. "My style of dance requires very precise footwork. I would show you... But it might set your heart ablaze."

By the end of it she was whispering and Percival wasn't sure if he'd heard her correctly. "I see…" He concluded she was fine without shoes and pushed on.

It wasn't long before Percival noticed that they were being followed. A group was tailing them from the covers of the forest, keeping just out of sight. It was no surprise when their road forward was blocked. A man with a large frame stood in the way, arms crossed with a grin on his face, leering at Anthuria. "Hey pretty, why don't you come with us? We'll treat you right."

"This is exactly why Gran should have come along." Anthuria was apparently still hung up about Gran not being present. Percival had no idea why she was surprised the captain didn't have time for her whining. Besides, for a few small fry like these he wouldn't even have to work up a flame.

"What is it with you and the captain anyway? He isn't the only capable member of the crew." The thugs he had sensed from before began emerging from the underwood.

"Well, Gran is…" She trailed off. He chanced a glance at her to make sure she was alright to find her face aflame. "Well, just thinking about him lights me up inside." And true enough her hands were aglow with the sparks of fire.

"Don't just stand there then! Let's put these mongrels in their place and be on our way." Drawing his sword and igniting it in one swift motion, Percival drowned the whole area in the bright and flickering light of his fire.

The display of power sent several of their would-be attackers packing before he even swung at them. Their leader charged at them but Percival sidestepped the attack and pinned him against a tree. The risk of burning his face kept the large man from trying to escape without Percival having to use any physical force. Or perhaps he was merely distracted?

He followed the man's gaze to Anthuria, who had made short work of the other thugs. The charred surroundings told of a fiery fighting style. The girl herself was unharmed but rather upset as the last of the sparks flying from her hands died down.

"Please marry me!" Percival was rather shocked and annoyed that the man was this persistent so he drove his blade into the tree millimetres from the man's face causing him to pass out from shock.

"Of course not." Anthuria answered anyway. "My heart burns only for…" She trailed off and gazed into the direction they had come from.

Percival rolled his eyes and waved for her to follow.

They were attacked a total of two more times before they reached the village. By this point, his top priority had changed drastically. Under the many at first curious glances and then disapproving stares from the villagers, Percival first lead and then dragged Anthuria into a high class tailor's.

When Percival had placed his order, the man who was still in shock had to put up with an impatient fiery knight and an annoyed fiery dancer. Needless to say, the atmosphere in that little room was beyond suffocating and the tailor sweated so profusely from his anxiety that he resembled a harried blacksmith before a sweltering forge more than anything.

"What are we doing here, Sir Percival?" Anthuria asked as she gazed outside at the setting sun.

"Ensuring we don't get into any more trouble." He said with a frown. When she did not appear to understand what he was saying. He covered his face with a hand and shook his head. "Has it not occurred to you that the only reason we were attacked a total of three times on what would otherwise have only been an hour long journey, is because you refuse to dress appropriately?"

"What, of course not! My dress is completely fine! Besides, since Gran isn't coming, there's no need to dress up, is there?" Red-faced from the outburst, her gaze shot to the floor and he could see that she was still upset about the captain.

It was at this point that the tailor shakingly offered Percival the finished product. "Not to interrupt you, sir, but is this to your liking?" The knight took the cloth, gave it a quick once over and spun around to drape the silky light material neatly over the Erune's head. Surprised, she raised her gaze to peek out from under the gold-trimmings at him.

"Wha-what is this?" She mumbled. The cloth felt nice and in the mirror she could see how well the colours accented her most fiery features.

Meanwhile, Percival did not hear her. He thanked the tailor and tipped him handsomely for the speedy service. "Let's be off, or we'll not make the ferry." He said and took her hand to lead the way. Light though his touch was, Anthuria yelped loudly as a shiver escaped from her ticklish hands. She started stammering wild accusations but they were lost in her quiet mumbles as she followed behind him.

"He he he he, what have we here?" A voice called out to the pair. Sierokarte, the ever cheerful merchant seemed to have been awaiting their arrival at the port.

"It's not what it looks like!" Anthuria insisted. She was sure she would have felt the heat rising in her cheeks were it not for the fact that she had already been flustered beyond the norm their entire trip across town.

"Is that so? It sure looks like you get on like a house on fire!" The Harvin shared a secret giggle with her bird and then waved out two tickets which put Percival at ease. "Actually, Djeeta made sure to book your tickets so you wouldn't miss the party! Here they are." And she held them out for each one to take.

"Good grief, this captain of ours can sure be a handful. If she'd told us earlier, it would have saved us a lot of trouble." Percival shook his head at the thought of Djeeta and her plots. It brought back the unsettling feeling that there was more afoot then he could fathom as of right now.

"Well, what can I say? I suppose she likes to keep her crew members accruing surprises! He he he!" She bid them a cheery farewell as they boarded the ship.

It was long after the ship took off before Anthuria caught her tongue. "What is the meaning of this?" She asked and indicated the cloak she had been wearing this entire time.

It took Percival a moment to figure out how to reply to his oblivious ally. "How many times have we been attacked since you've put it on?" He could see from her face that as she mulled it over she came to the same conclusion that he had. Except…

"I see… Its magical properties protects its wearer from assaults. Fascinating. I'll take good care of it." Deciding to let her believe whatever she wanted to for now, he let his thoughts wander until they arrived at the small neighbouring island.

The stars had already begun chasing away the day and a light mist was starting to settle when the two of them disembarked from the ferry. Other invitees drew their cloaks up and headed for the lit building some distance away.

"There's no need to cling, Anthuria." Percival said as he felt her warmth beside him.

"I'm not!" She protested until she realized she had also grabbed his hand. She let go as if burned and looked ahead to their destination. "O-onwards!" She declared and left him shaking his head.

Despite the short journey, Percival couldn't help but notice groups of peasants, gathered like moths to a flame, conversing in hushed tones to the side of the road. He paid them no further mind as he did not want to lose track of Anthuria who now blended well into the crowd.

At the porch of the grand palace, guards were checking the guests' invitations and the general mood was full of excitement. Everything from designer dresses to homemade coats were on display and the guests intermingled without hesitation.

It would have eased his mood if the guards hadn't taken so long whilst checking over his invitation. Anthuria had passed them without any problems and she had shed her cloak, revealing her dance attire that sparkled under the chandeliers' glow.

"We're very sorry for inconveniencing you, sir, but would you please follow us for a moment?" A guard said after finishing their ceaseless whispering.

"We shall regroup later." He said to Anthuria. She nodded and left without another word though he thought he caught her frowning as she turned away.

The guard motioned for him to follow and he did so though his hand came to rest upon his sword. The second guard walking beside him stiffened at the motion though neither of them asked him to put the weapon away. So although the corridors he was being led down were decreasingly lavish and populated, he wasn't worried about being imprisoned for no discernible reason.

Though they did eventually descend into the dungeons.

Percival didn't have much time to ruminate upon this fact nor question the guards before a very familiar voice cleared up the greater part of his suspicions.

"Heeeeey, come oooon, I'm a detective! You should be spending more time investigating this case and less time keeping me locked up here!" Loud complaints poured forth like an unending waterfall and Percival could feel his patience breaking like the dam that should have halted the water.

He pushed past the guards and marched to the cell another guard was stationed in front of, dutifully ignoring the inmate's wails. "What in the skies are you doing here?" He asked.

"Percival! My assistant! Why, I sure didn't expect to see you here! If you were going to call him you should have just told me!" The last part was directed at the guard who rolled his eyes at the noisy Draph named Barawa who was now grinning from ear to ear from between the bars of his cell.

"Sir, are you acquainted with this Draph or not?" The man asked, ignoring Barawa who now had his face pressed up against the bars.

"Unfortunately, I am, though I do not know him as one who would cause trouble. Why is he being detained?" He, too, opted to focus on the situation at hand and ignore the oaf's babbling for now.

"Trespassing without authorization. He wouldn't answer our questions and so we will be unable to release him for now. However if you would vouch for his release…"

"Stop right there!" Barawa interrupted with a finger pointed at the guard who had spoken. "That's not important right now! I have to talk to Percy URGENTLY! ALONE!"

The guard, though clearly offended at being interrupted, looked to Percival. He shrugged and the guard took a brief look at the clock hanging upon the wall. He nodded to the two who had come in with Percival. "You have ten minutes." The three then left the room.

"Well, now's the best time to break out!" Another man said. The blond was grinning from the cell beside Barawa's. "You are helping us break out, aren't you?"

"And just who might you be?" Percival asked.

However, before the man got a chance to answer, Barawa cut in again. "He's just some no good suspicious guy who was snooping around the premises.-"

"Talk about pot calling the kettle black-"

"Percy old pal, listen up! We haven't much time." Something about the urgency in his voice prompted Percival to take the man seriously.

"Cut the dramatics and I'll hear what you have to say." He replied. The Draph scanned the walls with a wary eye and even the smug smirk on the other man settled down.

When he was satisfied, he fixed his gaze back on the knight and took in a huge gulp of air. "A group is trying to use this party for their own gains. And they've even recruited a Primal Beast to back them up."

Since Barawa had said it with such a straight face, Percival was, for a moment, forced to consider the implications. Who was trying to use the party? To what ends? What sort of Primal Beast would it take to aid them? And then the moment passed and the absurdity set in. "Impossible. How would they manipulate a Primal Beast? People like Lyria are few and far between and dark essence would be immediately recognisable."

"That's what I was trying to find out!" The detective gestured wildly with his hands as he told his tale. "I'd spotted this man waiting by the side. Then a pretty lady arrived and whispered to him for only a moment before he just left! So I took the opportunity to grab the lady by the wrist. But doing so startled her and she started screaming." Here he trailed off looking dejected. "And of course someone heard her and I wasn't given a chance at all to interrogate her before they shunted me off to this cell."

Percival pinched the bridge of his nose. It figured that the detective had done something to warrant negative attention. "Barawa, as much as I would like to tolerate your tall tales, now is not one of the times I have the patience for it. Also, I do believe you were the one who deemed me 'incompetent' as a detective's assistant."

And right on cue, the guards returned to the hall with a heavy thunk of the door. "Your allotted time is up." Percival nodded and made his way over to the guard, but the detective would not let him off so easily.

"The fate of this island depends on you! I know you can do it, ex-assistant of mine!" All the knight knew to do was shoot the man one last annoyed glance before he was brought out of the room.

Percival returned to the ballroom. He had sought to leave the detective's worries with the man down in the dark but when he got back to the ballroom, his mind could not return to his initial objective of understanding the dynamics of this occasion. Instead he felt his eyes scanning the individuals in the room from the couple holding hands to the businessmen shaking hands, everyone was scrutinized. When waiters passed by him, he had to relax his hand which he had subconsciously wound around the hilt of his sword.

He sucked in a deep breath and exhaled as long as he could. The sudden presence that appeared behind him gave him a scare and he whirled around to find Anthuria peering up at him. "Are you alright? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"Anthuria! What are you doing here?" Her perplexed reaction to his question made him sweep his gaze across the hall again.

Couples dancing, nonchalant chatter, fiddles resounding, and many other decidedly normal activities for a party were what he saw.

"I'm taking a break." She answered and plucked a glass of champagne from a waiter's tray as he passed. She held it out to Percival and he accepted it instinctively. "What's on your mind? You can… always tell me anything. Maybe I could do something… just for you?"

"I appreciate the sentiment. However it's just a detective shooting in the dark with his theories. I ought to relax a little." He made a conscious effort to release the tension he had been building up in his body.

"Well, why not come dance with me? This isn't my style of dance but I'm sure you can… Lead me down the right path."

Thinking back to the last time he danced in his homeland, Percival shook his head. "It's been a while for me but at the very least we can see about deterring some unwanted attention from you?" He offered her his hand with a smile.

Anthuria took it with her own shy smile and he led her to the dance floor. The music had just slowed down and they took their places as the grand clock in the hall signaled the changing hour. Once, twice, three times, the bell chimed and as he held her hand the orchestra began the next piece on the clock's cue.

Percival directed the Erune first with words, and then just by motion. Her steps were in perfect sync with the music's rhythm and she learned the sequence and placement after the first cycle. In no time at all, they whirled like a soft breeze through a forest and Anthuria's innate magic came to life, nurtured by their flow. Tiny flames left a glowing trail in their wake as they waltzed across the floor.

At some level, Percival was acutely aware of the stares they received and people had stopped their own dance to gawk. But he was at ease with the gentle flames. Instead of burning, they were warm and welcoming. The tips of her hair glowed like cinders and he felt his tension just melt with his focus directed on the task of leading her graceful steps.

A tingling sensation in his hands suddenly tore his attention. He stumbled, losing his balance. For a moment the world spun and then he was caught. He took the steadying hand with a grateful smile and in return a charming smile was directed his way.

They returned to the dance as if never having missed a step in the first place. It took him much self-control to follow his partner's lead when he could feel the rhythm all the way to his bones. It would have been too easy, too satisfying to just break loose and take the lead.

The heat in his body felt much too hot, as if he was going to burst at any moment. He wanted nothing more than for it to leave him. But it just kept growing and growing. Until he couldn't take it anymore and gasped for air. At that very moment everything became much too bright. The sparks dancing around them were blinding and the heat they emitted smothered what comfort he thought he had mustered from them earlier. As he blinked away the flares, another realization dawned on him. Something was very, very wrong.

"Anthuria…" He whispered and even though he was sure his voice was audible to none other than himself, Anthuria had heard him and looked at him first with confusion and then a growing look of panic.

"Calm down. I'm sure we can figure this out." He tried to reason and as the words left him he flinched at the pitch in his voice.

Now that his mental fog had been lifted it was impossible to go back to blissful unawareness. Anthuria and he had somehow swapped bodies. The height difference hurt his coordination a lot but that was the least of his concerns. Her body was just plain weird. It was overheated to the point where he was sure she must have been capable of some other magic that at least prevented her from melting from her own heat. When he was himself he could light anything ablaze but this type of magic was completely different. Anthuria also had a way of releasing her fire, that must have been what the whole light show was about. But figuring it out was going to take a while and the heat might as well have been killing him.

While Percival couldn't be certain, Anthuria must not be facing the same difficulties he was. His magic was pretty straightforward and even as a child he'd never been able to burn himself. The expression she was making also told him that she was more preoccupied with keeping her legs untangled than dealing with any magical mishaps. For some reason she was still concerned about not messing up her steps. "Anthuria, we can't keep this up and think of a solution at the same time. Let's move off to the side for now."

"O-okay." She whispered as he watched heat creep up his face from her embarrassment. They came to a stop just as the tune came to an end where their plan came to a halt when a young gentleman approached Percival.

"Please, young lady, may I have this next dance?" He asked and bowed. The next piece started up while Percival took a moment to process the situation and work up an appropriate answer to decline.

"I'm afraid-" He started but the man took his hand before he could finished and yanked him out of Anthuria's grip and back onto the dance floor. Percival, at the mercy of Anthuria's magic flaring up and making him all tingly from the touch and the man's scent, was unable to protest further as he fought the heat creeping up his face all over again. Anthuria only watched, her mouth opening and closing in a soundless objection before she took a step forward and tripped. Not wishing to embarrass herself further, she slunk away into a corner to sulk.

"W-What are you doing?!" Percival hissed at the man, after he'd suppressed the magic. At the same time, a sense of dread was overtaking him. Was this unfamiliar man one of the people Barawa had been talking about? Had they already been noticed? What did this man have in store for him now?

"Hehehe, aren't you just downright sweet. I just thought you might need a little help, that's all." Against his will, Anthuria's instincts took over as the man led him through the dance. Needless to say, it was taking him a lot of willpower to keep his thoughts focused and the perfume in the air was making it a lot harder too.

"What're you planning?" He asked, trying not to spit the words at the man.

"Oh my, jumping to conclusions are we. Let's just say, a lovely little bird visited me and asked for my assistance in a matter most urgent." He squeezed Percival's hand a fraction and it forced a half-suppressed yip out his throat along with a fireworks show to light the stage. The man chuckled.

If Percival had really been Anthuria, he was sure he'd have broken down sobbing in frustration. As it were, he tried to take deep breaths and let his thoughts drown in the amplified ringing of the clock in Anthuria's sharp ears.

"Aha! What fascinating magic this is... Quite the interesting case our detective friend got himself involved in, don't you agree?" The Erune girl in front of him said. Percival blinked three times while they continued dancing before he realized he was looking at Anthuria.

Our detective friend? So many cogs fell into place in that instance that Percival wasn't sure there had been a machine there before. Of course Chat Noir would show up in an unrecognizable getup, that was his speciality after all. The perfume he'd come to associate with the thief should have been a dead giveaway. "Chat-" He began, in the phantom thief's normal voice only to be cut off again.

"Pssh! I dare say, you should be the one 'shutting up'. It simply won't do to give your identity away." Chat Noir hummed. Percival took a moment to wonder how in the world the thief was thriving in Anthuria's body but put that thought on hold.

"So, a Primal Beast?" He asked, getting right back to the case at hand. For all that Chat Noir loved fooling around, Percival had found him to be a reliable partner during his time as Barawa's 'assistant'.

"Mmhm, though I have yet to find out where it's hiding. They are definitely activating it through the clock. But I inspected it thoroughly and could not find anything odd about it." Percival's gaze flicked over to the giant grandfather's clock ticking away merrily at the far end of the hall. He remembered hearing it chime around the time Anthuria and he had started dancing. At the thought of her he turned to look where he had left her. A pink haired waitress seemed to be cheering her up and he felt some relief at knowing she was okay. "If only we had Barawa's intuition on our side. He'd probably stumble upon the Primal Beast completely by accident." Chat Noir mused aloud with a smile on his face.

"He is present, actually. But the lughead had himself locked up in the dungeons." Now that they were sure something fishy was going on, Percival wondered if the guards were in league with the perpetrators. Would one lock up a merely suspicious fellow under normal circumstances or was the detective being targeted?

"Oho! How curious. Wouldn't you say it's about time we busted him out of there?"

"Not quite." As much as he would like to help the Draph, there was something they had to take care of before Barawa could ruin all their covers. Chat Noir's face fell but he appeared attentive enough. "While he might be able to find the Primal Beast for us, we have yet to find the ones who set this all up." He paused as they stepped closer to another pair and resumed when they'd created some distance again. "There is no doubt a fight will break out. Whether we can successfully fight off the Beast as we are right now is a separate concern, but we'll just be allowing the culprits to slip away if we create chaos before we can determine their identities."

"... That sounds reasonable. I do suppose you have your head on straighter than I do. Anthuria is a rather… Excitable lady, isn't she?" Percival could only shiver at the thought. "But in our current positions… Hmm… Okay, I've got it. Just leave this to me. I'll charm my way past this plot while you see to Barawa, hihihi." With those parting words, Chat Noir spun around and twirled away, leaving Percival alone in his body on the dance floor. But he wasn't about to complain, detective work didn't suit him at all, which was why he had returned to the crew after only a short escapade as Barawa's assistant.

"No point hesitating now I suppose…" He muttered to himself while he weaved his way past pairs dancing on the stage. It took him a moment to orient himself before he made a beeline for the hallway the guards had led him down earlier in the evening. The crowds thinned out as he moved further from the party's locale.

"Hey you, halt! You shouldn't be here." A guard suddenly called out to him as he rounded the corner.

"Oh my apologies, I was just looking for the restrooms." He said. Despite the knowledge that he was trespassing, he felt calm and collected. It must have been Chat Noir's skills at play. "By the way, I found this on the ground earlier, another guest might have lost it…"

The guard approached him and Percival wasted no time grabbing the man and knocking him out cold with a little gadget he'd had up his sleeve. Upon inspection, he found a little note tagged to it with the words 'will knock out for 4h'. Wasting no time, he hopped to the closest door and listened for any movement. Not hearing anything, he opened the door to double-check and then dragged the guard in there with a little more effort than he was used to. After a quick thought, he left the guard's body concealed in the topmost compartment of a floor-to-ceiling cupboard and donned the man's clothes. As he glanced into the mirror, Percival decided he'd rather not know how the phantom thief had made his face this unrecognizable and decided that there was no need to change his face again.

After destroying all traces of him ever being in that room, he slipped away down the halls in his new disguise. Somehow despite the armor, his steps were effortlessly silent to the point where he wondered if that wasn't a little suspicious. He marched by some guards without incident and sneaked by others without being seen.

Soon he stood in front of the entrance to the dungeon where he'd seen the detective. He threw open the door and skipped down the stairs, surprising the pair of guards who stood there. Before they could react, he slipped around them and stunned them both then turned to face a shocked looking Barawa.

"That perfume! Chat Noir!" He shouted and raised his arms in defense, even though the bars of the cell still separated them. "... Or are you…?" He added as he watched Percival pat the guards down in search of the key.

"Not quite." He answered and in one swift motion took off his disguise, to appear in the phantom thief's usual getup, top hat, monocle and all. This left Barawa baffled.

"So you're the pesky phantom thief after all!" He accused with a note of confusion in his voice.

"No, you lughead. Come on, we've got a Primal Beast to track down." Percival opened the cell door and motioned for Barawa to get going.

"Ah, Percival? Why do you look like that Chat Noir?" He asked as he righted his hat and took a second look. Then he shook his head. "This isn't the time. You said we've got a Primal Beast to catch?"

"Yes, I'll fill you in on the way." However as they made to leave, a voice called out to them.

"Wait~!" Percival remembered the inmate in the other cell. "You can't just leave me here. I can help too." Looking at his smirk did not convince Percival however.

Percival shoved Barawa towards the exit but surreptitiously kicked the ring of keys over to the blond man. Then he turned and led Barawa out.

"We need to find out how and where they're hiding the Beast. The culprits-" He tried to explain. But the detective was not listening.

"RAAAAAH-! Evildoers beware! Here I come!" He shouted and charged down the hall, horns first. Percival was forced to recall why he'd quit detective work in the first place. Still, he was left with no choice but to chase after the man, all the while holding on to his hat.

He had just stepped foot back into the ballroom, gaze darting around to spot the Draph, when a commotion drew his attention.

"Eek!" He heard Chat Noir scream in Anthuria's voice. Barawa had torn her away from whomever she had been speaking with. He then pounced on the man who had begun to shout for help.

"I've got you now!" He said without a shadow of a doubt in his voice. Meanwhile guards had rushed in to pry the manic Draph from the guest.

Barawa flailed around with his arms, knocking fearful guards left and right. Percival tried to step in to get some guards off of Barawa but in the process was punched in the face by the Draph himself. Then, while trying to stave off the bleeding, a guard shoved him away right into the grandfather's clock standing against the wall.

The antique gave way from the force and the tug on the pendulum pulled the whole contraption apart with a cacophony of chimes accompanied by screams from the nobles. "What in the world have you done! My priceless antique!" The woman who Percival recognised as the owner of the villa screeched in horror.

However, before anyone could say more, a dark shroud of fog spilled out of the antique, ballooning into a huge black mass and incorporating the clockwork in its emerging form. Tendrils crowned with cogs lashed out behind it with a crushing force and propelled the creature forward onto centre stage.

"A… A Primal Beast!" Someone shouted and panic broke out amongst the crowd, some having also finally noticed their swapped bodies. Guests scrambled to get out of the building as fast as they could and the guards who had been trying to apprehend Barawa hurried to join them. Percival grit his teeth. Although this was bound to happen, fighting a rampaging Primal was not on his list of favourite pastimes, and even less so in an unfamiliar body with little backup.

Someone grabbed his hand out of the blue. Startled, he whipped his head around to see Anthuria - Chat Noir, he reminded himself - pull himself up from the ground. And he wasn't letting go. "What are you doing?" He asked as he tried to yank his hand out of the firm grip to no avail.

"Well, we've got to fight this thing, don't we?" He said.

Just then Barawa stood up and grabbed their still clasped hands. "Count me in as well!" He declared.

Chat Noir's eyes widened. "No, let go!" He tried to push the detective away but in Anthuria's body he didn't have the strength for it. The clock chimed again and again as he tried to get Barawa to let go. But the detective had no clue what was going on and was pushing back against the unfamiliar Erune.

A tentacle came lashing down between them and all three of them threw themselves to the ground to avoid the brunt of the blow.

Percival looked up through the clearing dust. To the left was Chat Noir's figure coughing out dust and to the right… Anthuria's body was looking around in confusion. Percival slapped his meaty hand against his face, hard. The mess was only getting bigger.

Chat Noir, in his own body, leapt to his feet, immediately drawing his cards and what looked like a smoke bomb. "I'll hold its attention for now!"

Another tentacle prepared for a smackdown right where a dazed looking Anthuria was still sitting. "Watch out!" Percival shouted and dived over. He skidded over the ground on his back and just managed to divert the tentacle with a sideways kick. It crashed down onto the ground, sending parts of tiles flying in all directions. A shard cut Anthuria's face and that finally snapped the detective within out of his daze.

"What in the skies! You're me!" Barawa in Anthuria's body was making a strange face. "Wait, but then, who am I?" He looked down at himself.

"There's no time to explain what's going on! Just get out of harm's way for now." Percival got to his feet and pulled the Erune up with a strong tug.

From the other side two figures approached. "We're here to help too!" He heard his own voice saying. Percival grabbed his own hand faster than he had ever seen Katalina reach for Vyrn. "Argh! You're way too persistent for your own good detective! Can't you see that Primal? We need to get Percival and Anthuria back in their own bodies!" His body had an aghast expression on but the words were going in one ear and coming out the other. Percival pulled Barawa's pistol and shot at the Primal Beast. He would be the first to admit that his accuracy with firearms was lacking but in this case the target was so big, you just couldn't miss.

The clock chimed again from within the Beast. However, Barawa was not about to stand down. "I won't stand aside and let you use my gun as you please, give it back! And my body too while you're at it!" Once again, the detective had latched onto him, pulling at the gun in his hand.

"Ah, wait! You've got the wrong person!" The girl who had been beside his body said. She was the pink haired Erune he had seen Anthuria talking to just before he'd left to free the troublesome Draph. And now that he took a closer look… Wasn't she the other phantom thief Barawa was always chasing?

Percival groaned, but it came out all high-pitched again. Frustration overcame him and the fire within built into two blazing infernos around his hands. "To hell with this. There's no time for this nonsense!" He screamed. Hands and feet wreathed in flames, he deftly skipped over another tentacle attack, setting fire to the appendage in the process.

With all of Anthuria's natural grace, he spun forward, letting the flames licking his hands get a good bite of the tentacles he was dancing around. Letting it all out felt way too good. Both frustration and stress just melted away and only the singular goal of burning the Primal to a crisp remained.

No, but even that was just a means to an end, the excuse he needed for this dance. The narrow openings provided by the Primal were a welcome challenge. Flipping over one obstacle, then twirling past another, then swooping under the last, he was mere steps away from the main body. The inky black mist parted and evaporated when the hot flames came into contact with it. The ringing of the clock's bells resounded like melodious echoes to his continuous sharp blows.

Soon everything was too hot. He was burning up from the inside. Only his own too loud breathing was resonating in his ears. A tentacle headed directly for him but his reaction was sluggish. A card flew out of nowhere and embedded itself inside the arm, exploding. The force knocked him back and he would have fallen to the ground if someone hadn't caught him.

He looked up into his own face looking down at him with worry clouding his eyes. "Too much passion will only cause you to burn out." A hand reached out, hesitated but then clasped his hand pulling him back up to his feet. The touch was familiar and foreign at the same time. Through Anthuria's sensitive hand he could feel every callus on his own and at the same time, he'd never thought his grip could feel this soothing.

"Anthuria?" He asked, unsurly. She nodded. His hands tingled and filled with a comforting warmth.

A shot rang out from the other side of the room and once again the clock chimed. "Well then, let's light the stage, shall we?" He said with his own voice now. He drew his sword and with a short flick, the length of the blade was consumed in the glow of his fire magic.

"The only one who'll burn out is that Primal." Anthuria confirmed. "Though… I wouldn't mind if I could ignite your heart along the way."

Percival thrust his sword forward, skewering the Primal Beast's arm and then slashed upward to cut off another three. "Unfortunately, my heart has had enough excitement for one evening." He caught her hand and pulled her closer, letting her spin like a firestorm out of harm's way. When she came to a stop, her face was mere inches from his. So close he could feel her breath brushing his cheeks and see the embers in her eyes. "However, I'll gladly be the wax to your wick."

He twirled her away, taking a spinning step back himself to avoid an incoming tentacle. With his momentum, he went full circle, letting his sword trace a wide arc that cut first the arm and then passed through the clockwork entangled body like a hot knife through butter. In the same instance, a massive ball of fire wedged itself into the hole, melting all the substance within before bursting upwards into a million sparks and propelling the rest of the black goo into the ceiling. The Beast was defeated.

"What is that even supposed to mean!" Anthuria, red-faced, asked him. He would have answered her but first he had to pull her away from the crumbling ceiling.

The clear night sky with a proud full moon shone down on them. Until a balloon inflated itself into the scene with a loud fwoosh, covering up the sphere and then smoke spread all around them as if the sky had to be blocked out too. "Ha ha ha! And so the time has arrived for the great phantom thieves to depart! Adieu, until we meet again, my rival!" Chat Noir announced.

Now that the smoke was clearing, Percival could make out the familiar shape of Chat Noir's portable getaway airship. The phantom thief stood there with a full grin on, waving down to Barawa who was cursing loudly. Clinging on for dear life was Catherine, who clearly did not trust the tiny vehicle to carry them both. "So embarrassing!" She huffed.

He grimaced at the detective's misfortune but then led Anthuria out of the rubble of the collapsed building. Outside, familiar faces were darting about, tending to the wounded and organising things. The Grandcypher was moored just a ways off. At the center of all the action, of course, were Djeeta and Gran, shouting orders to everyone and making sure things were moving along smoothly.

"Oh there you are! Good work!" The former said with a menacing smile on her face. It didn't help at all that she had the blond man from the cells cuffed at her feet. Gran was equipped with a few pairs as well and was just arresting some people he recalled seeing earlier. In his other hand was the cloak he'd purchased for Anthuria.

"Anthuria, uh, here." Gran said and held out the garment to her. Anthuria walked right up to him, paused and then slapped him so hard, a hand-shaped burn lingered on his face. "Owww!" He cried, but Anthuria just grabbed her belonging and marched off, leaving Percival to deal with their two captains alone.

"Djeeta, what in the skies is the meaning of this?" He asked. There was no way she could have been alerted to a disaster that quickly. There was only one conclusion: She had already known. And of course Chat Noir and Catherine couldn't have been here by coincidence either.

"Whatever do you mean, Percival?" She asked and walked right up to him, running a finger down his jawline as she smiled up at him. Until he caught it and pulled her hand down. She pouted.

"You know exactly what I mean, Djeeta. Out with it. Now."

"Eh he he he, it looks like everything went according to plan, doesn't it?" Percival and Djeeta both turned to see Sierokarte walking up to them, cheery as usual.

"Absolutely spot on, Siero!" Gran grinned from ear to ear and high-fived the Harvin. The two of them were soon lost in their own little merry dance. As if an unwinnable war had been won although the burn on Gran's face was still raw and actually looked very unsettling.

"Well, let's just say we killed…" Djeeta started counting here. "Four birds with one stone? Oh no wait, there were five birds."

"You counted arresting me in there too, didn't you?" The blond man wailed from the floor.

"Oh shush you. I'll have you know we actually have an arrest warrant for a stalker matching your description to the T." She stomped on his hand causing him to yowl in pain and curl up on the floor. "But oh boy, I'm glad Chat Noir and Catherine got their acts together. For birds of a feather, they sure get on each others nerves."

"And what about Barawa?" Percival asked.

"He was here by coincidence." She shrugged. "I'm glad we found him though. I still need him to repay me for some damages he caused the last time he decided to track down a lead. Watch this troublesome fellow for me, okay? I've got a detective to throttle." She skipped away with a pleasant smile on her face.

"Hey, you wouldn't mind-"

"No. Captain's orders." He looked down at the guy and shook his head. This was the last time he was playing along with any of Djeeta's games. He really needed a break from the crazy captain duo.

But what _was_ that last bird?

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A/N: Thanks for reading and hope you enjoyed it! Please leave a review to share your thoughts and criticisms :D


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